Type() is not clearing the input before typing in React component (serenity3.6.7)

[mrpet88]

It seems that type() method is not working properly with latest version of serenity, in React components. Since I can not provide much details from my company's project, I created two repositories, where the issue is reproducible.

Problem: Typing on an React input component that already has value, is not clearing the input, but instead it types next to the previous value.

Info:

• Works properly on old serenity 3.0.5 with selenium 3.x.x
• Does not work with new serenity with selenium 4.x.x
• Checked on firefox, still same behaviour
• Checked on different driver version, still same behaviour
• Type() works properly with serenity 3.6.7 on non-react component

Repositories to reproduce: -> Same test, different serenity version

• https://github.com/mrpet88/serenity-cucumber-selenium3
• https://github.com/mrpet88/clear-issue-new-serenity

Image:

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P.S. With pure selenium 3.x.x and 4.x.x, clear() is not working properly as well, but since clear seems to be working properly with serenity 3.0.5, I thought is a good idea to post this issue here, besides selenium.

[mrpet88]

One guess is that this is why it works properly on serenity 3.0.5:

if (!isMobileDriver()) {
            ClearContents.ofElement(getElement());
        }
        getElement().clear();
      

  public static void ofElement(WebElement element) {
        element.sendKeys(COMMAND_A, DELETE);
        element.sendKeys(CONTROL_A, DELETE);
    }

[wakaleo]

It's not the Serenity version, it's related to the underlying Selenium verion. I believe this is related to inconsistant behaviour of the clear method on different browsers, devices and OSs. The Control-A/Delete hack stopped working for some contexts in more recent versions of Selenium. I don't have a fix.

[mrpet88]

Yeah I also sent to selenium about this, unfortunatelly I don't think it will be handled there as well. Thanks @wakaleo

[TimB0]

ClearContents.ofElement(getElement()); is currently working for me in Serenity 3.7.1